#Yariguin2019

Three "Must Watch" Matches on the Opening Day at the Ivan Yariguin

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 - 18:48 By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 23) - The brackets for the opening day of freestyle and women's wrestling competition at first Ranking Series event of the year, the Ivan Yariguin, have been released and here are three potential matches that you can't afford to miss.

1. 70kg Semifinal - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. James GREEN (USA)

Russia’s two-time world champion Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov has won a pair of world titles since 2015, and each of those world titles came at weights where James Green competed, yet these two have never met.

Gazimagomedov’s first world title came in 2015 at 70kg where James Green finished with a bronze medal. His second first-place finish came last season, where Green, the returning 70kg world finalist, went 1-1 and failed to medal.

For this semifinal to happen, each guy would have to win their first two matches.

For two-time world bronze medalist ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) to earn his sixth trip to the world championships, he'll have to defeat fellow countryman TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) in the 57kg semifinals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

2. 57kg Semifinal - ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) vs.TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL)

This match is quietly one of the most important matches of the weekend and could later be used as one of the determining factors for Mongolia’s Astana world championship selection process, and ultimately the Olympic Game spot.

Erdenebat, a two-time world bronze medalist, has been the Mongolian go-to at 57kg for the last five straight world championships and the Rio Olympic Games. But Tumenbileg, a 2018 world bronze medalist at 61kg, will be moving down to the Olympic weight with hopes of denying Erdenebat a sixth straight world championship trip and a second potential trip to the Olympic Games.

For this match to happen, Tumenbileg has to win his opening round match, then beat 2017 world runner-up Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the quarterfinals.

Thomas GILMAN (USA), 2017 world runner-up returns to competition after missing out on a medal in Budapest. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

3. 57kg Quarterfinal - Thomas Gilman vs. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL).

America’s 2017 world runner-up Thomas Gilman was a safe-bet to medal at the 2018 world championships after claiming at least a bronze at every competition he ended during his senior-level career. But something wasn’t right with Gilman in Budapest. His offensive production dipped nearly two points from his 2017 world championship campaign. Gilman average five points in Paris, but only averaged just over three points in Budapest and fell short of medaling for the first time in his career.

Missing out on medaling will surely be a motivating factor for Gilman, but for his potential opponent, Tumenbileg Tuvshintulga, a trip to the 2019 World Championships rides on winning this match.

*Please note that these are not official matchups and will only happen if both wrestlers win all of their matches.

SCHEDULE (Local time)

January 24 (Thursday)
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
16.00 - Draw cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
17.00 - 1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg

January 25 (Friday)
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds and 1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg - Repechage cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg
16.30 - Draw cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
16.00 - Opening ceremony
17.00 - Finals cat: Women: 50,55,59,65 kg Men: 57,61,70 kg

January 26 (Saturday)
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
11.00 - Elimination rounds and 1⁄2 finale cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg - Repechage cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg
18.00 - Finals cat: Women: 53,57,62,68 kg Men: 65,79,125kg

January 27 (Sunday)
09:00 - Weigh-in cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
11.00 - Repechage cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg
13.00 - Finals cat: Women: 72,76 kg Men: 74,86,92,97 kg

2026 Muhamet Malo

'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return

Thursday, February 26, 2026 - 21:58 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- World champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) could have challenged him. Up-and-coming Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) could have caused trouble. Or maybe Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) would have caused an upset.

None of that happened. A calm and composed Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) marked his return to the mat with yet another gold medal, winning the 97kg weight class at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event on Thursday in Tirana, Albania.

It has become increasingly rare to see Sadulaev wrestle internationally, but when he does, the results tend to be a foregone conclusion. Sadulaev last wrestled at a global event at the same Feti Borova Arena in Tirana in October 2024 when he claimed his sixth world title, stunningly dropping to 92kg.

After 15 months, he was back -- at 97kg and, the top of the podium.

"Thank you to everyone who supported me, those in the arena and those watching on TV and smartphones," Sadulaev said. "Everyone who cheered, worried, and prayed for me. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you."

When Sadulaev stepped on the mat on Thursday, he rolled back the years. Right hand on his opponent's forehand, circling while standing tall. He would throw himself back if someone tried to attack his legs and then get a front headlock to score.

A true throwback in Tirana would have been a Sadulaev and Snyder clash but Khaniev decided to postpone that for now by beating the United States wrestler in the quarterfinals. Sadulaev got Khaniev in the final.

He was the first on board with a double-leg attack which gave him four points. He then made Khaniev toil to find an opening and when he did, Sadulaev defended like a rock. Khaniev was able to score only through stepouts -- managing four points from it while Sadulaev added three more takedowns to finish the final 10-4.

While the gold medal was a satisfactory result for Sadulaev, there was an added incentive that he was chasing.

"For me, this gold means qualifying for the European Championships, which will take place here in this same arena in two months, in April. It was very important for me to qualify there," he said.

Sadulaev, if he competes, will be at the European Championships after six years having last competed at the tournament in 2020. He won gold medal at 97kg in Rome.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) scores on Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) in the 97kg final in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The final against Khaniev was a virtual wrestle-off to win the spot for the continental championships, to be held from April 20 to 26. And despite beating Khaniev, Sadulaev was all praise for the youngster.

"Khaniev is young and promising," he said. "I thought we might meet before the final, but [because of the bracket] we faced each other only in the final.

"I know him well, we train in the same region, we’ve been at training camps together and worked side by side. He’s very tough, with a really good stamina. He hasn’t gained that much experience yet, but I believe he has everything ahead of him."

Khaniev, making his debut at 97kg internationally, sprung a surprise when he defeated Snyder 10-4, using some crafty counters in the second period. He also defeated Magomedov in the semifinals.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) completes a fireman's carry move. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

However, Sadulaev isn't reading much into Snyder's loss as the U.S. wrestler had lost to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) in Tirana but went on to win the world gold in September.

"At tournaments like this, he [Snyder] usually doesn’t come in at peak form the way he does for the World Championships or the Olympic Games, where he’s been in his best shape," Sadulaev said. "So this loss doesn’t really say much. Maybe he will win the next World Championships."

The World Championships in Manama, Bahrain is scheduled in October and there is a good chance that both Sadulaev and Snyder will be there. But Sadulaev is hoping for a more decorated field.

"If everything goes well and I make it for the World Championships, four Olympic champions could compete in this weight class [in Bahrain] -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Kyle [SNYDER] and Ahmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and myself, and other medalists," he said. "I think it will be the most competitive and exciting weight category."

Sadulaev, in his subtle humor, would go on.

"It’s hot enough there [Bahrain], but I think at the World Championships, it will be even hotter."

Three "Must Watch" Matches on the Opening Day at the Ivan Yariguin

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'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return